diff --git a/src/plugins/plugin_exp_events.py b/src/plugins/plugin_exp_events.py
index 69d0ec5e..25e7e86a 100755
--- a/src/plugins/plugin_exp_events.py
+++ b/src/plugins/plugin_exp_events.py
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class Events(object):
 
         for uri_type in (u'invitees', u'blog'):
             try:
-                elt = next(event_elt.elements(NS_EVENT, 'invitees'))
+                elt = next(event_elt.elements(NS_EVENT, uri_type))
                 uri = data[uri_type + u'_uri'] = elt['uri']
                 uri_data = uri_parse.parseXMPPUri(uri)
                 if uri_data[u'type'] != u'pubsub':
@@ -203,17 +203,22 @@ class Events(object):
         # we first create the invitees and blog nodes (if not specified in data)
         for uri_type in (u'invitees', u'blog'):
             key = uri_type + u'_uri'
+            for to_delete in (u'service', u'node'):
+                k = uri_type + u'_' + to_delete
+                if k in data:
+                    del data[k]
             if key not in data:
                 # FIXME: affiliate invitees
                 uri_node = yield self._p.createNode(client, service)
                 yield self._p.setConfiguration(client, service, uri_node, {self._p.OPT_ACCESS_MODEL: self._p.ACCESS_WHITELIST})
                 uri_service = service
             else:
-                # we suppose that *_service and *_node are present
-                # FIXME: handle cases when they are not
-                uri_service = data.pop(uri_type + u'_service')
-                uri_node = data.pop(uri_type + u'_node')
-                del data[key]
+                uri = data.pop(key)
+                uri_data = uri_parse.parseXMPPUri(uri)
+                if uri_data[u'type'] != u'pubsub':
+                    raise ValueError(_(u'The given URI is not valid: {uri}').format(uri=uri))
+                uri_service = jid.JID(uri_data[u'path'])
+                uri_node = uri_data[u'node']
 
             elt = event_elt.addElement((NS_EVENT, uri_type))
             elt['uri'] = uri_parse.buildXMPPUri('pubsub', path=uri_service.full(), node=uri_node)